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Pax Romana - Endgame Scenario — Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC By Dan Fournie Please Note: This is a two-part Pax Romana scenario article — in this issue, Endgame: Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC, and in the next issue Spartacus and the Foes of Rome, 88-55 BC. These two scenarios allow two, three or fourgarners to play out the many struggles of the late Roman Republic. The History (by Game-Turn): Turn VII (146-125 BC) In 146 BC Rome completed the destruction of two of her greatest foes. After a brutal siege, Scipio Aemilianus sacked Carthage, razed the city, salted its fields and cursed the site. Meanwhile, in Greece, Lucius Mummius was sacking Corinth, the last Greek city resisting Roman rule. Rome's former rivals in the East, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic Empires, had decayed to the point impotence. Nonetheless, all these victories did not lead to peace and stability — just the opposite. Rome continued fighting barbarian tribes, especially in Hispania (155133 BC),Thrace (135 BC) and Dalmatia (129 BC). More ominously, the city-state republican government of Rome began to sputter and strain under the demands of managing an empire. Amongst the proconsuls governing far flung provinces, corruption and oppression became the norm. Another byproduct of Rome's many victorious wars was a massive influx of slaves. The first of the great slave revolts, or Servile Wars, engulfed Sicily (135132 BC). The killing of the reformer Tiberias Gracchus by a mob in the forum (133 BC) was the precursor to the civil wars that would follow. When Attalus III of Pergamum died (133 BC), he bequeathed his kingdom to Rome to avoid civil war. However, as the Romans moved into Ionia, a major rebellion erupted under Aristonicus. Once the Pergamene and slave uprisings were suppressed, a brief calm prevailed, but it was only the lull before the next storm. Turn VIII (125-100 BC) A series of campaigns against the Gallic tribes were fought (125-121 BC), leading to the formation of the province of Narbonensis. Gaius Gracchus, the brother of Tiberias, was killed along with 3,000 of his supporters during more factional strife (121 BC). Another series of campaigns were fought against the Dacians, Scordisi and Maedi along the Dalmatian and Macedonian frontiers (118-107 BC). Against this backdrop of external threat and internal unrest, the greatest crisis since the Punic wars erupted. Furst, two large German tribes, the Cimbri and Teutones, began a migration to the south. The tribes collided with Roman frontier forces in Illyria (113 BC), crushing a Roman army before heading west to Gaul rebellion broke out all across Italy. This was the gravest threat to Rome since Hannibal crossed the Alps. Marius, Pompeius Strabo (father of Pompey the Great) and Lucius and Hispania. The Germans defeated a string of Roman commanders along the way. At about the same time, war broke out with a former ally, Jugurtha of Numidia (112-105). Quintus Caecilius Metellus took command in Africa after a series of setbacks. With Cornelius Sulla all held key commands in the `Social War' but Sulla emerged as the most successful. Brutal fighting raged across much of Italy for the next four years, and the Italian rebels only ceased resistance when Rome finally granted them the coveted citizenship. As war raged in Italy, Mithradates VI him went an ambitious officer named Gaius Marius. When the war against Jugurtha could not be quickly won, Marius returned to Rome and won his first consulship, taking over the command from his mentor. When the Cimbri again turned against the Romans in Gaul, the legions proved inadequate. At the Battle of Arausio on the Rhone River, the Cimbri and Teutones annihilated two Roman armies, slaying 80,000 men (105 BC). It was Rome's greatest defeat since Cannae. The road into Italy was open. The senate turned to Gaius Marius, just back from defeating Jugurtha, to face the Germans. Manpower shortages forced Rome to call on her allied client kings for troops. Nicomedes, the King of Bythinia, complained that he could not furnish soldiers because the rapacious Roman tax farmers had enslaved too many of his subjects. In response, the senate issued a decree that all enslaved subjects of allied kingdoms should be emancipated. The governor of Sicily began to implement this directive and freed 800 slaves before the local land owners pressured him to cease. However, the unfulfilled expectation of manumission led to a second great slave revolt in Sicily (104-100 BC). Meanwhile, Marius reformed the Roman army and re-instilled discipline in its ranks. His new `marian' legions finally crushed the Teutones invaders at Aqua Sextae (102 BC) and annihilated the Cimbri at Vercellae (101 BC). Marius served five straight consulships and emerged as the leading strongman, overshadowing all other Romans. Turn IX (100-75 BC) Rome enjoyed a brief respite before the next series of catastrophes brought the Republic to the brink of destruction. Campaigns continued in Asia Minor, the Danube region, Gaul and Hispania, gradually expanding Roman territory. Then disaster struck close to home. The reformer Livius Drusus moved to enact laws granting citizenship to many of Rome Italian allies. These long suffering communities provided much of the manpower for Rome's armies, yet were denied full political equality. When Drusus was assassinated (91 BC), of Pontus seized the opportunity to strike at the Roman province of Asia (Ionia) in Asia Minor (88 BC), defeating the local commanders and slaughtering 80,000 Romans and Roman sympathizers. Mithradates had spent the last couple decades forging an empire around the Black (Euxine) Sea. The local populace, suffering from Roman oppression and voracious tax collectors, rose up in support of the invader. Next, Mithradates sent his top lieutenant, Archelaus, across the Aegean into Greece. Archelaus was able to seize Athens, where the citizenry supported him against the Roman garrison. A second force, with the bulk of the Pontic fleet was dispatched against Rhodes. Back in Rome, Sulla exploited the popularity he won during the Social War to gain the consulship, and the command against Mithradates (88 BC). While he was preparing his army to cross over to Greece, Marius, leading the faction known as the `populares,' forced the senate to grant him the command against Pontus, and to order Sulla stripped of his army. This began the first Roman civil war, as Sulla, now the head of the `optimates' faction, marched with six legions against Rome (88 BC). Legions were not allowed within Rome's city limits, so Marius had only an armed mob backed by gladiators. He was quickly driven from the city in exile to Africa. Sulla purged the populares, enacted legislation to protect optimates' interests, and then resumed his campaign against Mithradates. Meanwhile the Dacians and their Dardani, Maedi and Scordisi allies overran Macedonia and Thrace and sacked Delphi (87-84 BC). Sulla struck at Athens, which endured a long siege (87-86 BC) before it fell. Archelaus was able to withdraw most of his forces by sea, but Sulla defeated him at Chaeronea (86 BC) and Orchomenos (85 BC). Sulla drove the Pontic forces from Greece, and reclaimed the province of Asia (Ionia). However, Sulla could not finish Mithradates off, as the populares under Marius, Cinna and Sertorius had seized Rome soon after he departed (87 BC).The populares PaxRomanaScenario — Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC condemned and executed many of Sulla's supporters and overturned his legislation. Marius, soon after winning his unprecedented seventh consulship, fell ill and died. Cinna raised a new army, and headed for Greece to face Sulla. But Cinna's legions mutinied, refusing to fight fellow Romans, and stoned Cinna. Sulla swept back into Italy and took Rome a second time, winning a decisive battle at the Conine Gate (82 BC). His chief lieutenants were Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Licinus Crassus. A Second Mithradatic War was fought by local Roman forces in Asia Minor (83-81 BC). Tigranes 'the Great' of Armenia, an ally of Pontus, defeated the Parthians and overran Seleucid Syria, establishing an empire from the Caspian to the Mediterranean (83 BC). In the west, the populares were down but not out, as Sertorius established an 'alternate Rome' at Huesca (near Ilerda) in Hispania (82-72 BC) and Lepidus led an abortive attack on Rome (77 BC). Sulla sent Pompey to deal with Sertorius, retired from public life and died peacefully (78 BC). Turn X (75-50 BC) Another crisis (or a continuation of the last one) was building as Turn X begins. The Third Mithradatic War erupted in Asia Minor, pitting Lucullus against Mithradates and his ally Tigranes of Armenia (75 BC). Sertorius created a senate in exile in Hispania, and brilliantly fended off the attacks of Pompey Then Spartacus escaped from a gladiator school outside Capua and ignited the Third Servile War (73-71 BC). After defeating the local Roman commanders, his slave army swelled to over 70,000 fighters. Burebista of Dacia, aided by his high-priest/ advisor Dicineus, took advantage of Greek dissatisfaction with Roman rule to conquer the Black Sea coast from Apollonia to Olbia, while raiding Macedonia and Dalmatia (74-72 BC). It seemed Rome lacked the power and cohesiveness to simultaneously defeat Mithradates, Sertorius, Burebista and Spartacus. Then fortune smiled on the Republic. Unexpectedly, Sertorius was assassinated by one of his captains, allowing Pompey to crush the separatist populares state in Hispania. Meanwhile, Crassus took the command against Spartacus, and after hard fighting penned him in Bruttium. Lucullus defeated Mithradates and Tigranes, but could not finish the war as his opponents withdrew into the wilds of the Caucasus. Pompey returned to Italy just in time to steal some of the glory from Crassus for finally crushing Spartacus (71 BC). Pompey next received an extraordinary command to suppress pirates throughout the Mediterranean (67-66 BC), and then took over the command against Mithradates. Pompey finally finished that war as Mithradates committed suicide (65 BC). Pompey went on to reorganize The East, ending Seleucid rule and establish- ing Syria as a Roman province (64-63 BC). Pompey 'the Great' was now recognized as Rome's greatest commander. He joined in the unofficial 'First Triumvirate' with Crassus (the richest man in Rome) and Julius Caesar (a popular up-and-coming politician). The Triumvirate brought a decade of stability and expansion for Rome. Caesar established his own reputation as a great commander by conquering Gaul (59-50 BC). Crassus, jealous of his colleagues, obtained the command to invade Parthia. He met his end at Carrhae (53 BC) as the Parthian horse archers annihilated six Roman legions. As this game ends, the populares cause was revitalized under Caesar. Pompey and Caesar were becoming estranged and maneuvering for advantage in the Great Civil War that was about to begin (49 BC). Pontus never recovered as a great power. Dada under Burebista, on the other hand continued to expand and threaten Rome's northeast frontier. Ultimately, Burebista was assassinated in 44 BC (the same year as Caesar) and his kingdom disintegrated. The Roman Republic was no more, but the imperial Pax Romana would last for centuries. Scenario C3i — IV (Standard or Advanced Game) ENDGAME: Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC Players: There are two players: 1) Rome 2) 'Foes' of Rome — one player controlling two groups of powers and various other forces: The East: includes Pontus, Armenia and the Seleucids The West: includes Numidia (use Carthage counters) and Dacia (use Greek counters) The Foes player also controls Pergamum, Slave Armies, Barbarians (Lusitanians and Germans), a Soldier of Fortune (Sertorius), Pirates and Ptolemaic Egypt (if activated) ,,Three player version — Design Note: Although this scenario is designed for two players, a three player version is possible. Be advised that the Roman player will have nearly twice as many actions as the two Foes Players. , 1) Rome 2) The East: includes Pontus, Armenia and the Seleucids The East Player also controls Pergamum, Slave Armies and Pirates 3) The West: includes Numidia (use Carthage counters) and Dacia (use Greek counters) The West player also controls the Barbarians (Lusitanians and Germans), the Soldier of Fortune (Sertorius) and Ptolemaic Egypt (if activated) In the Three-Player version The East and The West Players are a Team. They win, or lose, together, using the same Victory Criteria as the Two-Player version. Start and End: The scenario begins with the Operations Segment (Phase E3) of Turn VII (146-125 BC) and lasts for four turns, through the Victory Phase of Turn X (75-50 BC). Activation Markers: The Table below lists the number and type of AMs that are played/ placed in the pool each turn. How to Win: A player may win an Automatic or a Standard Victory. Victory Points VPs are awarded to Rome for control of the following Territories according to the Table below. Automatic Victory: A player wins an automatic victory at the end of any Turn as follows: The Foes player(s) must control at least fifteen (15) provinces AND the city (space) of Rome. The Roman player must control his Home Territory AND a total of 50 or more VPs. Standard Victory Levels are determined during the Victory Phase of Turn X, based on the number of Victory Points awarded Rome. Legendary Roman Victory: 50 or more VPs Historic Roman Victory: 40-49 VPs Historic Foes Victory: 30-39 VPs Legendary Foes Victory: 29 or less VPs Events (Standard and Advanced Games): Instead of regular events, there will be a Slave Revolt AM and one Event Marker in the AM pool (all directed against Rome) as per the Table below. Event Cards: Events cards are used, but not according to Rule 17.1. Instead each player receives the 10-cards listed below at the beginning of the Game. He may play up to two (2) cards per Turn during each Activation Phase (not all cards will be used). The effects of the cards are the same as listed in Rule 17.2 and on the card, unless noted otherwise. Certain cards may not be played during Turn X, as indicated. Foes: Ambush, Archimedes Effect,Cunctator Local Insurrection (may not be used during Turn X), Mercenaries (x2), Pirates (x2), Tribal Resurgence (x2) (may not be used during Turn X) In a 3-player game, The East and West players may play only one card per turn each. The East player receives: Archimedes, Local Insurrection, Mercenaries (x1) and Pirates (x2); The West player receives: UpheavalsoftheLateRepublic,146-50BC—PaxRomanaScenario PaxRomanaScenario — Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC Upheavals of the Late Republic, 146-50 BC — PaxRomana Scenario